Editing Saxony (section)

===Stem Duchy of Saxony===
{{Main|Old Saxony|Duchy of Saxony|Sorbian March}}

Since the late 6th century, the territory of modern-day Saxony and parts of Thuringia was populated by [[Polabian Slavs]], most prominently the [[Sorbs (tribe)|Sorbs]]. It was conquered by [[Francia]] and subsequently organized as the [[Sorbian March]].<ref>[[Sebastian Brather|Brather, Sebastian]] (2004). "[https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00112980 The beginnings of Slavic settlement east of the river Elbe]". ''Antiquity'', Volume 78, Issue 300. pp. 314–329</ref><ref>[[Sebastian Brather|Brather, Sebastian]]. (2001; 2nd ed. 2008). ''[https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110209952/html Archäologie der westlichen Slawen: Siedlung, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im früh- und hochmittelalterlichen Ostmitteleuropa]''. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110206098</ref> A legacy of this period is the modern ethnic group of [[Sorbs]] in Saxony. Eastern and western<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Plauen|volume=21}}</ref> parts of present Saxony were ruled by [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]] at various times between 1075 and 1635 (with some intermissions), and [[Schirgiswalde]] ({{langx|hsb|link=no|Šěrachów}}; {{langx|cs|Šerachov}}) remained a Bohemian exclave until 1809. Eastern parts were also ruled by Poland between 1002 and 1032, by the [[Duchy of Jawor]], the southwesternmost duchy of fragmented [[Piast dynasty|Piast]]-ruled Poland, from 1319 to 1346,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bogusławski|first=Wilhelm|title=Rys dziejów serbo-łużyckich|year=1861|location=Petersburg|page=142|language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rieck|first=Gisela|year=2014|title=Herzog Heinrich von Jauer herrscht über die östliche Oberlausitz|magazine=Ora et labora|publisher=Freundeskreis der Abtei St. Marienthal|language=de|location=Ostritz|issue=49|page=17}}</ref> and by [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] from 1469 to 1490,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Köhler|first=Gustav|title=Der Bund der Sechsstädte in der Ober-Lausitz: Eine Jubelschrift|year=1846|publisher=G. Heinze & Comp.|location=Görlitz|language=de|page=30}}</ref> and [[Krauschwitz|Pechern]] ({{langx|hsb|link=no|Pěchč}}) was part of the [[Duchy of Żagań]], one of the [[Lower Silesia]]n duchies formed in the course of the medieval fragmentation of Poland,<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Gemeinde Krauschwitz i.d. O.L.|language=de|page=9}}</ref> remaining under the Piast dynasty until 1472.

[[File:Heinrich der Löwe und Mathilde von England.jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|[[Henry the Lion]] (with his wife [[Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony]]) being crowned as the [[List of rulers of Saxony|Duke of Saxony]]]]
The first medieval '''Duchy of Saxony''' was a late [[Early Middle Ages]] "[[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] [[stem duchy]]", which emerged around the start of the 8th century AD and grew to include the greater part of Northern [[Germany]], what are now the modern German states of [[Bremen]], [[Hamburg]], [[Lower Saxony]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Schleswig-Holstein]] and [[Saxony-Anhalt]]. Saxons converted to Christianity during this period, with [[Charlemagne]] outlawing pagan practices.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Karras |first=Ruth Mazo |date=1986 |title=Pagan Survivals and Syncretism in the Conversion of Saxony |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25022405 |journal=The Catholic Historical Review |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=553–572 |jstor=25022405 |issn=0008-8080}}</ref> This geographical region is unrelated to present-day Saxony but the name moved southwards due to certain historical events (see below).